As time passed, the two Heavy Balls were quickly completed. With one set of materials left, Ace spoke up. "Mr. Kurt, could I try making the last one?"
Hearing Ace's request, Kurt wiped the sweat from his brow and smiled, stepping back from his workbench. "Go ahead. But if you fail, don't ask me to make another one."
"No problem." Ace rolled up his sleeves and approached the workbench.
He looked at the raw materials in front of him and picked up the round shell made from a Black Apricorn. After inspecting it carefully, Ace was surprised to find that while the shell's strength couldn't compare to metal, it was extremely tough and much lighter than a standard Poké Ball.
Recalling Kurt's previous assembly steps, Ace took a deep breath, picked up the prepared materials from the table, and quickly pieced them together. The capture net, the electronic switch, the metal seams... One by one, the parts were installed onto the shell, and soon a complete Heavy Ball lay in his hand.
"..." Kurt watched Ace complete the assembly and was momentarily stunned. While the forging of the Poké Ball was the most crucial part, the subsequent assembly was also quite troublesome and prone to error. A single deviation in the assembly would render the entire Poké Ball useless. Even if it looked fine on the outside, a Poké Ball that couldn't catch a Pokémon was just junk.
"So that's how it works. It's really interesting. But is the special characteristic of the ball an inherent property of the Apricorn itself, or is it a result of the craftsmanship? Hmm, this is a great direction for an experiment..." Ace tossed the Poké Ball in his hand. If all went as planned, once he was done in the Johto region, he would definitely modify the Poké Balls he had.
For no other reason than this: a good Poké Ball is a crucial factor in winning a battle. Take a simple example: in a life-or-death battle, two trainers send out their Pokémon at the same time. One uses a skill after landing, while the other has already prepared a skill inside the Poké Ball and unleashes it the moment it comes out. Who has the greater chance of winning?
Achieving this is simple in theory, but not everyone can pull it off. The most important issue is that the Poké Ball's material can't handle it! The most likely outcome is that the Pokémon will gather its energy inside the ball and cause it to explode, destroying the Poké Ball completely. And even if the Poké Ball did manage to contain the energy, the spreading energy of various types would make it difficult for the trainer to hold onto. For example, an Electric-type Pokémon's energy would be electricity, and the trainer would likely be zapped the moment they grabbed it.
That would be a best-case scenario, as it could be solved with a pair of insulated gloves. For high heat or extreme cold, even with something to insulate it, performing this kind of maneuver would be very difficult. This was especially true for Ace's Lapras, who had awakened an Ice-type bloodline. If Ace dared to try this move, he would lose the hand holding the ball. No, an ordinary Poké Ball wouldn't even have the strength to withstand Lapras's low temperatures.
So, if Ace could truly modify all his Poké Balls, he would be able to seize the absolute advantage in future battles! However, reaching that point would require a great deal of time and research. The experimental samples were also very important!
Ace looked at the Poké Ball in his hand and suddenly felt that six Poké Balls weren't enough. "Mr. Kurt, I have an impolite request." Ace smiled at the master craftsman, his grin almost overflowing.
Kurt couldn't help but shiver, getting a bad feeling.
Three days later, Ace was kicked out.
That's right, Mr. Kurt had literally chased him out with a broom. "You little brat! Don't let me see you again!" Mr. Kurt fumed at Ace. "If it weren't for Professor Oak's sake, I'd beat you senseless today!"
"You stubborn old man," Ace said with a smile. "But thank you. I have enough experimental samples now. When I manage to modify them, I'll send you a sample to take a look."
"Bye, Big Brother!" It was Kurt's granddaughter, Maizie, who waved goodbye to Ace. Next to her was a Teddiursa.
During his three-day stay, Kurt had crafted twenty of each type of Poké Ball for Ace. Yes, twenty of each type! The extremely high-intensity work nearly made Kurt vomit blood, but he never said he would stop.
Since Mr. Kurt showed his sincerity, Ace wouldn't be stingy either. He took Maizie, who would be going home soon, to the mountain and captured the Teddiursa she had been wanting, giving it to her as a gift.
Kurt didn't say anything about it, but he did slow down his Poké Ball production, giving Ace more time to observe the craftsmanship. The atmosphere during the three days was very good and harmonious, but once Kurt completed Ace's request, he immediately grabbed a broom and chased Ace out.
The reason was simple: during these three days, Ace had also helped Kurt, assisting in the creation of many Poké Balls. Kurt saw this and respected Ace even more. But Mr. Kurt also knew very well that Ace was a trainer and couldn't stay here making Poké Balls like he did. So, instead of a sentimental farewell, he decided to cut things short and chase Ace out.
Through his three days of practice, Ace had accumulated a lot of valuable experience, providing him with ample inspiration for his future Poké Ball modifications.
Crobat took off with Ace, flying into the distance. After watching Ace leave, Kurt let out a snort and turned back with his broom in hand. Maizie followed her grandfather, tugging on his sleeve. "Grandpa, when I grow up, I want to be a trainer too."
"Hmm, whatever you want to do, your grandpa will support you." Kurt was very fond of his granddaughter. He patted Maizie's head, then sighed. "It's a shame. If your useless dad had half of Ace's talent, I'd be laughing in my sleep."
"Dad is very smart!" Maizie retorted. She still idolized her father.
Kurt snorted. His unfilial son not only failed to inherit his craft but also went into the mass production of Poké Balls, which nearly caused him to disown his son. Although Kurt had to admit that while mass-produced Poké Balls were definitely not as high-quality as his own, they were cheap and plentiful, enough to satisfy the needs of many trainers.
"Sigh, I wonder if my skills will be buried with me in the coffin." Kurt shook his head. As a craftsman, he was starting to feel powerless in the face of the wave of modernization.